MARIGOT: On October 27, several representatives of the Fondation de France (FDF) presented the capitalization report of the Antilles Solidarity Program launched in 2017 after the devastating passage of Hurricane Irma.
The presentation of the report “5 years later” was given at the CCISM in front of about twenty people embodying associations that benefited from the emergency program such as Cobraced, the Apatrides, the Nature Reserve of Saint-Martin, Initiative Saint-Martin Active, Trait d’Union France Victimes, the Manteau, the Compagnons Bâtisseurs, etc. Figures from the Prefecture and the Collectivité were also in the assembly. As a reminder, the Antilles Solidarity Program, the first emergency intervention of the FDF in the overseas territories, was born from a surge of generosity with the support of an ad hoc committee of 6 volunteer experts. It had a budget of 15.2 million euros with 12M granted to the French part of Saint-Martin and 5 axes of intervention: disaster relief (16%), reconstruction (41%), economic recovery (20%), education and culture (13%), risk prevention and environmental protection (5%). More than 100 projects have been supported since 2017.
The strength of FDF’s action over the past five years lies in comprehensive and sustainable support for beneficiaries, field visits to consolidate partnerships, coordination and dialogue with local institutions, networking of associations for long-term collaboration and strengthening their capacity for action, and finally the rapid commitment of funds to act as quickly as possible.
The points of improvement developed during the presentation of the report include the identification of the most vulnerable groups to support projects targeting women, placing greater emphasis on mental health and psychological follow-up, strengthening support for the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as for personnel involved in emergency social assistance; and the sustainable integration of the DROM-COMs into the FDF’s strategies by, for example, setting up relays in the French Overseas Territories and by providing long-term support for activities and cultural facilities in Saint-Martin. The positive outcome was confirmed by the testimonies of the participants who were unanimous in their opinion that the Fondation de France has greatly contributed to the recovery of Saint-Martin after Irma.
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